School carpools: How to make it work

Friday

Aug 31, 2007 at 2:20 AMAug 31, 2007 at 3:33 AM

School carpools offer many benefits: They can save you money by reducing the number of miles driven on your car, reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality and save you time. (My wife and I reduced our driving by six or seven hours each week when we carpooled). The only difficulty will be following the 10-page directive the school will provide for entering and exiting the school's carpool lanes.

By TOM McMAHON

School carpools offer many benefits: They can save you money by reducing the number of miles driven on your car, reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality and save you time. (My wife and I reduced our driving by six or seven hours each week when we carpooled). The only difficulty will be following the 10-page directive the school will provide for entering and exiting the school's carpool lanes.

Some school districts are now offering a link on their Web site where you can find other parents in your neighborhood who want to join a carpool. Another trend is the "Walking School Bus," in which groups of children walk specific routes to school with adult supervision. Kids are picked up along the way — just like a bus. It's a great way to get some exercise.

The key to a successful carpool, say the experts, is rules that are agreed upon by all participants — parents and students. It only takes one consistently late driver or student to sour the entire experience. I also recommend taking the advice of our first contributor below — a seasoned carpool organizer.

Thanks to the parents and grandparents who contributed a parenting tip this week. Please share your good ideas with the readers of this column.

As the organizer of a school carpool for six high-school students, I gave each of the parents a list of home addresses and phone numbers — including the cell-phone numbers of the students, if they have one. The lists are laminated and kept in the parents' cars. On one side are the home addresses and phone numbers of the parents (home, work and cell) and school. On the other side are the cell-phone numbers of the students.

Believe me, these numbers will frequently come in handy during the school year, like when a parent forgets to drive on her scheduled day or when you can't find a student for an afternoon pickup at the school.

— N.T.M., Pleasanton, Calif.

My grandson was frightened of ghosts until I told him that ghosts don't like green curtains. Of course, there were green curtains in the room where he slept when he visited my house. This worked so well when he visited me that his mother eventually put green curtains in his room at home.

— Genie G., Lansing, Mich.

Knowing that many teens drive after drinking alcohol or doing drugs, I laminated a small card with my home and cell-phone numbers and those of three other close relatives and good friends who live nearby. The top of the card read: "NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE OR GET INTO A CAR WITH SOMEONE WHO DID." My son knows that he can always call one of us if he is faced with the decision of driving while under the influence — with total immunity.

— M.R., San Francisco

As a day-care provider, I have tried many different ways to get children to eat their vegetables. What worked best was to serve them their vegetables first — before the rest of their meal. They eat better when they're hungry. If you serve the veggies with the rest of the meal, they will likely fill up on the rest of their food, leaving the veggies on their plate. It's also been my experience that children like frozen vegetables better than canned ones.

— Robin W., Winterset, Iowa

I was interested in your column about heavy school backpacks. Textbook-publishing companies could cut the weight of a heavy book in half by making two volumes. The first volume would be for the first half of the school year, and the second volume would be for the second half.

— J.O., Carmichael, Calif.

Every parent has a favorite parenting tip. Send yours to tomkidtips.com, call 1-925-461-6080 (fax/voice message) or write to Kid Tips, 888 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10019. Tom McMahon is a syndicated columnist, college professor and author of the books "Kid Tips" and "Teen Tips." Visit his Web site at www.kidtips.com.

(Always keep safety, age appropriateness and your intimate knowledge of your own child in mind when considering use of any tip.)